Sunday August 23 News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 84° Sunshine and clouds mixed. 

- Jewish Summer Camp Locked Down After Neighbor Fires 20 Rifle Rounds; 23 Guns Seized, Suspect Now Out on Bail. More than 400 campers and staff at a Jewish summer camp in Maine were forced into lockdown after a neighboring man allegedly fired roughly 20 rifle rounds, with shell casings suggesting some shots may have been fired toward the camp’s basketball court. Deputies seized 23 firearms from the suspect, while court documents cite suspected antisemitic bias. He was arrested and initially held on $50,000 bail, but has since been released under strict conditions.

-Jackson  carnival at Johnson Park

- A Point Pleasant man was arrested in connection with a series of swastika graffiti incidents in Asbury Park, according to police.

- New era at BMG : Rav Shneur Kotler shlita son of the Lakewood R"Y Rav Malkiel Kotler shlita will deliver a shiur today for the first time  at 12:45 pm in the Yosshon BM on the sugya of תולדותיהם כיוצא בהן in Case he's בבא קמא.

The shiur is part of the phasing in process for the next generation of the chavrei hanhala of BMG. Last zman Rav Aaron Olshin gave shiur klali. N Rav Aaron Shustal and Rav Yehoshua Abba Busel delivered shiurim over the last year.

- Admor of Chernobyl shlita from Brooklyn will be in Lakewood this week Wednesday for kabolas kahal ahead of the Yomim Noraim.

- LSTA Update: Parents still lack clear guidance on the LSTA non-mandated busing changes. While some local articles warn that opting out could worsen mandated routes through longer rides or shortages, those claims need to be backed by facts. The bigger concern is transparency and timing: It appears Township officials knew about the funding increase and its impact earlier, why were parents only notified days before the deadline, leaving little time to understand the situation and make an informed decision?

- Keren Olam Hatorah delegation of gedolei yisroel from E"Y have arrived today in Mexico for a South American fundraiser trip.

- LSTA Audit in 2002 Raises Financial Oversight Concerns

A 2022 state audit of the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority (LSTA) reported approximately $27.3 million in revenue and $30.8 million in expenses, a roughly $3.5 million shortfall. The audit reported about $1.13 million in administrative expenses, with salaries approaching $500,000.

LSTA transported roughly 25,000 nonpublic-school students, funded largely through aid-in-lieu payments, family transportation fees, and township contributions. 

$24.7 million in maximum aid-in-lieu payments for roughly 25,000 nonpublic-school students;

$2.5 million collected from courtesy-bus family fees ($260 per student); and

$1.2 million in Lakewood township contributions for public-school courtesy transportation.

While the state recognized LSTA’s innovative approach, it also raised concerns about oversight, potential conflicts of interest, data issues, federal ESSER funds, and unused resources that should have been returned to the district.

- A article with Lakewood Mayor Coles in TVOL says The New Jersey Local Finance Board officially denied Lakewood’s request to exceed the state’s maximum tax levy cap. This cap override was intended to cover a severe municipal budget shortfall. The Township Committee had voted to raise property taxes by 14.4 cents per $100 of assessed value. For a home assessed at $750,000, this would have meant an annual tax increase of $1,080.

In the above article Local officials suggest political retaliation may be at play. Over 90% of Lakewood voted for Governor Mikie Sherrill's opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, in the gubernatorial election. Mayor Coles noted that while former Governor Murphy provided millions in state grants to help bridge the funding gap, Governor Sherrill "ripped off the Band-Aid" and slashed that support down to $1 million.Consequences: Because the tax hike was rejected, town officials must review the budget to find alternative balances. Mayor Coles warned this will likely result in service cuts and employment layoffs across the township.

Mayor Ray Coles attributes the structural deficit to an outdated 1970s state aid formula. While Lakewood has grown to 141,000 residents, it receives only $5 million in state aid. By comparison, similarly sized or slightly larger NJ cities receive drastically more (e.g., Newark receives $110 million; Paterson receives $33 million).Collateral Financial Hits: The township's budget was further strained by FEMA's refusal to grant disaster aid for a historic winter snowstorm, alongside the state denying a separate $5 million Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) project for public safety.Political Tensions: 

- President Trump lashes out at Canada after trade negotiations between the two countries collapse, accusing America's northern neighbor of wanting the "benefits of being a State, without being one. “Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!! They have also charged our great farmers, for many years, massive amounts of Tariffs. No more!!! President DJT”

- Jonathan Pollard will be joining MK Sharren Haskel's Israel First party and will support it in the upcoming elections. 0Pollard said he chose the party because he believes it represents Zionist and nationalist leadership that puts Israel’s security first.

- Today Lakewood-area residents can get help applying for New Jersey’s ANCHOR prperty-tax relief program this Sunday, Aug. 23, from 1–5 p.m. at 1001 Route 70 in Toms River, near the Lakewood border. Representatives from the state Treasury will provide application assistance and answer eligibility questions in English and Yiddish.

- Agudah CEO currently in E"Y met with PM Netanyahu Defense Minister Katz and the Gerer rebbe.

 

Sign of Shiur at BMG (photo m weisberg)

Video: Lakewood Roshei  Yeshiva  walk Rav Yosef  Chaim  Shneur Kotler shlita into the Bais Medrash as he delivers shiur klali for the first time

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